Car-coupling.



J. ZILIUS.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1910.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Attorneys Inventor,

" JwaflZZZZZM Witnesses J. ZILIU'S.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1910.

1,008,001 Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

'IIIIIIIMII Witnsse V ventor,

0 by 1 r Attorneys JACOB ZILIUS, OF HUNTING-DON, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 19.11.

I Application filed March 18, 1910. Serial No. 550,108.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB ZILIUS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Huntingdon, in the county of Huntingdon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupler, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car couplers of the type shown in my United States Patent No. 504015 dated August 29, 1893, wherein is disclosed a car coupling consisting of a laterally movable draw bar which is operated by means of a vertically movable gravity actuated block having an inclined slot therein through which the draw bar extends, whereby when the gravity actuated block is drawn upward, the draw bar through a movement resembling a cam action is thrown off to one side so that when two cars are brought together the coupling members will not strike each other until they are in proper position to lock. l/Vhen the gravity actuated block is drawn to its highest position, the spring on the draw bar throws a shoulder on the latter beneath a shoulder on the gravity actuated block so as to hold it in its highest position and prevent it from dropping until the impact of the two cars when they meet causes the shoulder on the draw bar to be moved rearwardly out of engagement with the shoulder on the gravity actuated block, whereupon the two blocks on the two cars will drop by gravity thus simultaneously moving the two draw bars laterally in opposite directions whereby they are firmly locked together.

The object of the present invention is to improve the above described construction of my former device particularly, by providing the coupling member of the draw bar with a pivotal arm which is adapted to be locked in closed position by means of the gravity actuated block, the arms of the couplers on different cars being permitted to swing open before the cars are coupled together and are caused toswing closed and thus lock the two couplers firmly together when the gravity actuated block falls upon the impact of the two cars.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification ;-Figure 1 is a plan view, partly 'in section, showing the meeting ends of two cars provided with the improved couplers of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a car equipped with the improvements of the present invention, the wheels thereof being omit-ted. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the draw bar, showing the gravity actuated block in elevation, and in its lowermost position, so as to throw the draw bar into its central or looking position. Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing the gravity actuated block locked in raised position. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the gravity block. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view showing the manner in which the draw bar is supported for lateral movement.

Like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings 1 and 2 designate the bodies of a pair of cars each of which is provided with the improvements of the present invention. These improvements include a gravity block 8 such as is shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 7 of the drawings. One of the gravity blocks is provided for vertical movement at each end of each car, and is formed with an inclined slot or cut away portion 4 which extends upward from the lower side of the block and terminates a short distance below the upper side thereof. A portion 5 of the draw bar 6, extends through the inclined slot, and when the block 3 is in its lowermost position, as shown in Fig. 4, the draw bar is in central position so as to be locked with the draw bar on the other car. When, however, the block 3 is in its raised position as shown in Fig. 5, the draw bar connected therewith is swung off to one side so as to be out of engagement with the draw bar on the other car, as is indicated clearly in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1, the two blocks 3 (not shown) are in raised position so that the headsv of the two draw bars are swung laterally so as to be in position to clear each other when the cars come together. In Fig. 2, the two blocks have been caused to drop by gravity at the moment they were released by the impact of the two cars, and in their downward movement swinging the heads of the two draw bars toward each other so as to lock them together as shown. Each of the draw bars 6, at its rear end, extends loosely through an eye or similar device 7 connected with the car truck, and is capable of swinging movement therein. Interposed between the eye 7 and a shoulder 8 formed on the draw bar, is a coiled spring or other expanding device 9 which serves to hold the draw bar yieldingly in position and to throw a shoulder 9 thereon forward into position to engage a recess 3 in the block 3, for the purpose of holding the block 3 in raised position until the impact of the meeting cars throws the draw bar out of engagement with the block 3, whereupon said block is permitted to drop by gravity as previously described. As shown in Fig. 6, the block 3 is mounted for vertical movement in a channel 10 formed in the head timber 11 of the car, said block being held in the channel 10 by means of a cover plate 12 which is bolted to the timber 11 in any suitable manner as indicated at 14 in Fig. 3. The cover plate 12 preferably is formed with a vertically extending slot 15. Projecting through the slot 15 is a locking member or wedge shaped lug 16 which is formed on each of the blocks 3 as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. The locking member 16, as will presently appear, constitutes one of the particular improvements of the present invention over my former construction. i

The head of the draw bar, in the present construction, is formed of' a stationary hooked member 17 and a movable member 18 pivotally connected with the member 17 as indicated at 19. The space between the inner end 20 of the movable coupler member 18, and the shoulder 21, is such that when the gravity actuated block 3 is permitted to drop from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 4, the lug or looking member 16 enters the space between the movable member 18 and the stationary member 17, and by reason of its wedge shaped character, serves as a cam member for throwing the movable coupling member 18 into the closed position shown in Fig. 6 and locking it immovably in said position. As the two blocks 3 on the two cars, are simultaneously released by the meeting impact of the car, it will be obvious that the two wedge shaped locking members 16 of said blocks simultaneously throw the two movable coupling members 18 into the posit-ion shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and lock them immovably in this position. When it is desired to unlock the coupler, the blocks 3 are raised in any suitable manner such as by means of the draw rod or other device 35 shown in the drawing as extending downward through the floor of the car and being connected with an eye 36 upon the upper surface of the block 3. When the two blocks 3 are drawn into their uppermost position, the wedge shaped locking members 16 are moved out of the joints between the coupling members 18 and the members 17 and the draw bars are simultaneously swung laterally in opposite directions to the positions shown in Fig. 1 so that two cars can be released, the spring 9 of each draw bar, as previously described, serving to lock each block 3 in raised position.

Extending across the lower surface of the draw bar is a bridge piece 30 which serves to support it in raised position, the bridge piece 30 being preferably provided with antifriction rollers 37 or similar devices so as to facilitate the lateral swinging movement of the draw bar.

From the foregoing description in connection with the drawing, it will be obvious that the improved draw bar of the present invention is provided with means for swinging the draw bar laterally and for locking and unlocking the movable member of the draw bar head so as to facilitate the coupling and uncoupling of the cars.

The construction of the present invention is strong, simple, durable and inexpensive in construction as well as thoroughly efficient in operation.

What is claimed as new is 1. A car coupler having a laterally movable draw bar, a head on the draw bar formed with a pivotal member, a vertically movable block formed with an inclined slot for moving the draw bar laterally, and means mounted on the block for closing the pivotal member of the head of the draw bar, and looking it in closed position.

2. A car coupler having a laterally movable draw bar formed with a head made up of a fixed member and a pivotal member, the space between the members being wedge shaped, a vertically movable block having an inclined slot engaging the draw bar for moving it laterally, and a wedge shaped camj member and locking device mounted on as my own, I have hereto affixed my signathe block and being adapted to fit into the ture in the presence of two witnesses.

space between the two members of the coupler when in lowermost position, for the JACOB ZILIUS' 5 purpose of moving the coupler to closed po- Witnesses:

sition and locking it in such position. E. E. ENYoonT,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing GEO. G. STEEL.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

